Crane hook



E. C. ELSNER CRANE HOOK Oct. 8, 1963 Filed April 11. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet1 JNVENTOR. WIN C. E1. .swse

Oct. 8, 1963 E. c. ELSNER 3,106,420

CRANE noox Filed April 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1] 73 8 60 I I 701- 65j- 6/ 10 INVEN TOR.

2140 C. fills/wee Oct. 8, 1963 E. c. ELSNER 3,106,420-

CRANE HOOK Filed April 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet a I 73 625 E00 50 57 70.-I I

1 VENTOR. E2140 '6. Bis/WEE flrroeusys.

E. c. ELSNER I CRANE HOOK Oct. 8, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Flled April 11,1960 INVENTOR. fi awm/ C. EZSNEE flrraemsrs.

United States Patent 015 ice 3,106,420 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 3,106,420CRANE HOOK Edwin C. Elsner, Pasadena, Calif., assignor t AeroquipCorporation, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 11,1960, Ser. No. 21,540

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-83) This invention relates to a load-handling deviceused to suspend a load from a lifting and carrying vehicle, and whichmay be utilized for automatic release of the load when the weight of theload is released from the device, or, optionally, for manual loadrelease. It is particularly adaptable for use with a crane where manualload release in close proximity of the load would be dangerous,inconvenient or impossible, and also where speed of release is desired.Other uses for the device will be apparent from the detailed descriptionof the device which follows.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which willsecurely hold a load in suspension, but will automatically release theload when the load is set down.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device whichis equipped additionally with optional, fast, manual load-release means.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a device which maybe quickly and easily set in locked position, quickly and easilyreleased from locked position, and quickly reset in locked positionafter the load carried by the device is discharged.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a devicewhich is sturdy of construction, and having a minimum number of workingparts which maybe easily and inexpensively manufactured and assembled.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the device of the presentinvention in closed position, with a load suspended therefrom.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the device as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the device in position forreload.

FIGURE 4 is a viewsimilar to FIGURE 3, but with the device in loadedposition.

FIGURE 5 is another view similar to FIGURES 3 and 4, but with the devicein partially opened position.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the hook latching meansof the device in partially opened position.

FIGURE 8 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 9 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view showing the means of locking theautomatic load release assembly when manual release is desired.

A body member 10 has a recessed opening 11 at one end thereof. Anarcuat-e hook or cargo support member 12 is pivotally mounted at one ofits ends to the body member 10 adjacent one side of said recessedopening 11 and disposed so as to swing to close said recessed opening 11when the device is in closed position.

A latch member is pivotally mounted at one end of said latch member 20to said hook member 12 adja cent the other end of hook or cargo supportmember 12. Said latch member 20 has an elongate 'body 21, having alongitudinal surface 22, an oblique abutment face 23, and a protrudingshoulder 24 which is formed with an abutting surface 25, also preferablyoblique.

Rigidly mounted on body member 10, adjacent the side of recessed opening11 opposite the side at which hook or cargo support member 12 ismounted, is a retaining menn ber 30 which has an abutment surface 31disposed so as to mate with and abut against surface 25 of latch member20 when the device is in closed position.

A latching bar 40 is pivotally mounted'intermediate the ends thereof onbody 10 in spaced relation to said retaining member 30, and to surface22 of latching member 20. One end 41 of said bar 40 is disposed so as toabut against surface 22 of latch 20 and hold said latch 20 in abutmentwith retaining member 30' when the device is in closed position. Theother end 42 of said bar 40 is disposed so as to abut against a triggermember 50, hereinafter described. A stop or pin 43 may be mounted onbody 10 and disposed so as to arrest clockwise movement of bar 40 at apredetermined point.

Trigger 50 is of right-angle configuration, formed of arms 51 and 52,disposed at right angles to each other. Trigger 50 is pivotally mountedon a plunger 60, hereinafter described in detail, and is mountedintermediate said arms 51 and 52. Arm 52 is disposed so as to be clearof end 42 of bar 40 when the device isin the reload position shown inFIGURE 3; to overlie said end 42 when the device is in the loadedposition shown in FIGURE 4; and to abut against said end 42 when thedevice is in the opening position shown in FIGURE 5.

A stop or pin 53 is mounted on body 10 and disposed so as to movetrigger 50 out of its overlying position, and also to arrestcounterclockwise movement of trigger 50 when trigger 50 has attained theposition shown in FIG- URE 3.

A plunger 60 is slidably disposed in an open-ended chamber 61 in body10. Mounted on plunger 60 is a ring 62 for attachment of a crane cablethereto. Said ring 62 may be disposed in a slotted opening 63 in body 10and chamber 61 so as to allow full sliding movement of plunger 60 inchamber 61.

At its lower end plunger 60 has a flange 64 disposed in recessed opening11. Springs 65 are disposed in opening 66 in body 10, and abut againstflange 64 so as to bias plunger 60 downwardly against the upward pull ofa cable attached to ring 62 with a load suspended from the device.

A spring 67 is disposed in an open-ended chamber 68 in plunger 60 andabuts against trigger 50 so as to bias trigger 50 in a counterclockwisedirection.

A locking bar 70 is slidably disposed in an open-ended lateral bore 71in plunger 60, said bore 71 being disposed so that bar 70 may be slidoutwardly to abut against the outer edge of body 10 andprevent thedownward movement of plunger 60 when manual operation of the device isdesired. For easy movement of bar 70, a rod 72, equipped with a knob 73,may be mounted on bar 70 intermediate the ends thereof and disposed inslotted opening 74, with rod 72 protruding outwardly from slottedopening 74 and knob 73 disposed outside body 10.

For manual operation of the device, halyard is attached to latching bar40 adjacent end 41 thereof, by any suitable means, such as a ball andsocket assembly 81. Halyard 80 passes through an opening 82 in body 10and extends upwardly and outwardly from body 10. A block 83 may bemounted externally of body 10. Block 83 has an opening 84 aligned withopening 82 in body 10, and halyard 80 is also disposed therein. Ifdesired, as a matter of convenience in operation, stop 85 may be mountedon halyard 80 by any suitable means, such as by set-screw 86.

A recess is cut in body 10, and disposed therein in spring 91 whichabuts on latching bar 40 adjacent end 41 thereof and biases saidlatching bar 40 in a clockwise direction.

A ring 100 may be used to secure a load to hook 12. When it is desiredto apply the automatic opening features of the device, locking bar 70 isretracted, permitting free sliding movement of plunger 60 in chamber 61.Without pull tension on ring 62, plunger 60 will be biased downwardly bysprings 65, and trigger 50, arrested by pin 53, will be in the positionshown in FIGURE 3, with its arm 52 completely clear of end 42 oflatching bar 40. With hook 12 in closed position, latching bar 40,biased downwardly by spring 91, will have its end 41 abutting firstagainst face 23 and then against surface 22 of latch 20, thus bringinglatch 20 into abutment with retaining member 30. Further downward,clockwise movement of bar 40 will be arrested by pin 43, so that end 41of bar 40 will remain firmly seated against surface 22 of latch 20,keeping latch 20 in firm latching contact with retaining member 30.

When a load is suspended from hook 12, and pull tension greater than thebiasing power of springs 65 builds up in plunger 60, plunger 60 willslide upwardly until it assumes the position illustrated in FIGURE 4,when trigger 50, clear of pin 53, will turn counterclockwise, impelledby the biasing action of spring 67, until arm 52 of trigger 50, clear ofend 42 of bar 40, will overlie said end 42 of bar 40.

When the load is set down, so that pull tension is released from plunger60, plunger 60, impelled by springs 65, will move downwardly, and arm 52of trigger 50 strikes end 42 of bar 40, causing bar 40 to turn, againstthe biasing action of spring 91, in a counterclockwise direction,whereupon end 41 of bar 40 will ride upon surface 22 and along face 23until latch 20 is free to move out of engagement with retaining member30, whereupon hook or cargo support member 12 will be free to swing openand release ring 100 and the load thereby suspended. Downward movementof trigger 50 will continue until arm 52 has passed end 42 of bar 40,whereupon it will assume the position shown in FIGURE 3, and the devicewill be ready for reloading.

When it is desired to use the device with manual operation by means ofhalyard 80, plunger 60 is drawn upward until bore 71 is clear of body10. Bar 70 is then slid to abutting position against the outside surfaceof body 19, whereby plunger 60 is held in elevated position and cannotmove downwardly. Plunger 60 and trigger 50 will thus be substantially inthe position shown in FIGURE 4, with arm 52 thereof overlying end 42 ofbar 40.

When pull tension is applied to halyard 80, against the biasing force ofspring 91, end 41 of bar 40 will be drawn upwardly along surface 22 andover face 23 of latch 20, until latch 20 is free of retaining member 30,thus permitting hook or cargo support member 12 to swing free anddischarge the load suspended from ring 100. Release of said pull tensionon halyard 80 will permit retaining member 30, latch 20 and bar 40 toassume their latched positions when hook or cargo support member 12 isswung to closed position.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I haveconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of myinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent structures and devices.

What is claimed is:

1. A quick release cargo handling device adapted to be positionedbetween lifting means and cargo, wherein the weight of said cargo whensuspended applies load tension to said device, said device comprising: abody member; a cargo support member pivotally mounted at one end on saidbody member and adapted to have said cargo suspended therefrom;releasable latching means interconnected between the other end of saidcargo support member and said body member; and means for automaticallyactuating said latching means and releasing said cargo support memberfor pivotal movement when said cargo is landed and said load tension isrelieved comprising a plunger shiftably carried by said body member,spring means interconnected between said plunger and said body memberurging said plunger toward said latching means, means for attaching saidlifting means to said plunger wherein the weight of said cargo movessaid plunger away from said latching means against the force of saidspring means, and trigger means carried by said plunger operable toengage said latching means and release said cargo support member inresponse to shifting movement of said plunger toward said latching meansby force of said spring means when said cargo is landed and said loadtension relieved.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said trigger means comprisesarm means pivotally carried by said plunger and movable between firstand second positions and means interconnecting said plunger and said armmeans and pivoting said arm means from said first position to saidsecond position when said load tension is applied.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said trigger means comprises anL-shaped member having first and second arms pivotally mounted on saidplunger at the juncture of said arms, and a spring interposed betweensaid plunger and said second arm to thereby pivot said L-shaped memberto a predetermined position when load tension is applied wherein saidfirst arm overlies said latch means.

4. The subject matter of claim 1 including manually operable meanscarried by said body member and operably connected to said latch meanswherein actuation thereof releases said cargo support means and saidcargo.

5. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein said latching means includes alocking bar pivotally mounted on said body member and having one endthereof positionable under said first arm of said L-shaped member.

6. The subject matter of claim 3 including a stop mounted on said bodymember and engageable with said second arm for pivoting said first armaway from its overlying position relative to said latch means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,521,516 Heidman Sept. 5, 1950 2,758,867 Elsner Aug. 14, 1956 2,868,581Minty Jan. 13, 1959 2,941,835 Musser June 21, 1960

1. A QUICK RELEASE CARGO HANDLING DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONEDBETWEEN LIFTING MEANS AND CARGO, WHEREIN THE WEIGHT OF SAID CARGO WHENSUSPENDED APPLIES LOAD TENSION TO SAID DEVICE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: ABODY MEMBER; A CARGO SUPPORT MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END ON SAIDBODY MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO HAVE SAID CARGO SUSPENDED THEREFROM;RELEASABLE LATCHING MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN THE OTHER END OF SAIDCARGO SUPPORT MEMBER AND SAID BODY MEMBER; AND MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLYACTUATING SAID LATCHING MEANS AND RELEASING SAID CARGO SUPPORT MEMBERFOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WHEN SAID CARGO IS LANDED AND SAID LOAD TENSION ISRELIEVED COMPRISING A PLUNGER SHIFTABLY CARRIED BY SAID BODY MEMBER,SPRING MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PLUNGER AND SAID BODY MEMBERURGING SAID PLUNGER TOWARD SAID LATCHING MEANS, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAIDLIFTING MEANS TO SAID PLUNGER WHEREIN THE WEIGHT OF SAID CARGO MOVESSAID PLUNGER AWAY FROM SAID LATCHING MEANS AGAINST THE FORCE